(A) Billing.
(1) Municipal utility bills are rendered monthly which show billing amounts for various city services as are applicable to a specific user. Bills are due when rendered, and are delinquent 15 days after they have been rendered.
(2) If any municipal utility user neglects or refuses to pay the amount due for any or all of the municipal utility charges on or before the delinquent date, the city shall provide such delinquent municipal utility user with a written notice of termination of water service and/or sewer service.
(3) The notice of termination will specify the reason for the impending termination of services, the exact amount owed, the steps which the municipal utility user can take to avoid the shut-off, the steps necessary to have service restored after the shut-off, and the date, time and place for hearing on the matter.
(4) A municipal utility user shall have the right to appeal said notice of termination to the City Council. Application for appeal shall be made within five business days of the date of the notice and shall be made on a form provided by the city. The hearing shall be held during a regularly scheduled City Council meeting. Failure to appeal the notice of termination within the specified time period shall constitute a waiver of the right to an administrative hearing and adjudication of the notice or any portion thereto.
(5) Following the hearing, if it appears that there is no bona fide and just dispute regarding the bill, a notice of shut-off will be provided the water user, which notice shall specify the time and date the shut-off will be made.
(6) All municipal utility users whose bills are delinquent will be subject to a penalty of $10 on unpaid accounts, plus a charge of $30 to reconnect a water service disconnected for nonpayment of the bill.
(B) Disputed sewer bills.
(1) A customer wishing to dispute a sewer billing may do so provided the customer:
(a) First pays the disputed bill in full;
(b) Files a written request for review of said billing on a form provided by the city within 30 days following the receipt of said bill; and
(c) Where the disputed bill exceeds three times the average monthly billing, partial payment in the amount of the undisputed portion of the bill may be accepted by the City Finance Office prior to the review of the disputed amount of the bill.
(2) Sewer rebates may be granted when one or more of the following conditions exist:
(a) Incorrect billing amount due to negligence of city personnel; and
(b) On commercial accounts whose sewer bill is based on a percentage of the water bill, a rebate or bill adjustment for sewer may be given when:
1. The corresponding water bill has been adjusted under § 51.07(A); or
2. When a water leak develops on the customer side of the meter and it can be shown that the water from the leak did not enter the sewer collection system.
(3) Adjustments:
(a) Any adjustments made to a disputed bill will be made in the form of a credit which will be applied to the next billing, except where the amount of the disputed bill exceeds three times the average monthly billing, at which time a rebate may be given upon approval of the City Council; and
(b) Cash settlements will only be made on accounts that are intended to be closed.
(Ord. 1195, passed 12-3-2018)